Spring-dampener.



C. E. BAUER.

SPRING DAMPENERJ APPLICATION FILED MAR. I; 1915.

LIQQQEQL Patented May 18, 1915.-

' UNITED STATES OF IC CARL E. BAUER; or HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TQ AMERICAN STEEL renames;

' or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

sPRme-nAMPE Ea.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, C RL E; BAUER,"a citizen of the Ilnited States, residing at Hammond, in thecounty of Lake; and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Dampeners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to springs, and hasparticnlar reference to a novel spring controller or dampener.

It has been found, particularly in the railway art, that coil springs used under railway cars are much more eflicient and have greater capacity if a dampener, or other friction inducing element, be used in connecti on therewith. I am aware that many such devices have heretofore been proposed,

but some, or all of these, have inherent defects which are sought to be overcome in the present device.

An object in the construction of an efficient spring dampener should be to proi a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a slightly vide a comparatively large friction surface in order that the friction developed in service may be spread over a large area. If this is not done the engaging parts rapidly become worn and the efiiciency of the device rapidly decreases.

An object in the present device is to pro-- vide two elements having portions which interengage, these portions, when assembled, inclosing the nest of springs, thetwo parts moving relatively to each other as the springs are actuated. The interengaginggagement at all times, this surface not'being limited to pointsor lines which rapidly become worn.

The invention will more readily be understood by reference to the accompanying draw ng, -wherein- Figure 1 is a. perspective view of a spring dampener assembled ready for use, Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts as they are shaped prior to assembling, Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, Fig.4 is

. Specification of Letters Patent, Application filed March 1, 1915. Serial No. 11,259.

modified form, and Fig. 5 is aview similar toFig.2. 1

Referring more particularly to the'drawings, it-will be seen that I provideupper and lower plates 10,11 respectively, each of said plates having endportions .12, 13 bent at right angles to the plane of the" plates.

Patented May 18,1915.

The end portions 12' are provided with marginal inturned flanges- 14, so arranged as to cooperate with the end portion 13, and sec-urelyhold the same. against lateral displacement. As best'shown inFig. 2, the end portions 12,13 aregiven an initialbend or set, and that the bend of lone ti I opposite to that ofjits mating section. Thus, 1

in order to assemble the parts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the plates must be forced into a straight line, and thereafter the ends '13 r will be readily accommodated within the... 1"

flanges 14. However, the tendency of the parts is to assume the position given them by the initial set, thus binding the adjacent.

plates in close relation. When assembled,

as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the plates .liein close engagement and the frictionsu'rface 1 is relatively great. v

In'theconstruction shown in Figs- 4.- and '5 the same principle is involved. In that form the top and bottom members 15, 16 f are substantially duplicates of" each other,

the angularly bent end portions thereof consisting of a plurality of tongues 17, 18,

each of which is offset or bent out of the plane of the adjacent tongue and oppositely bent with relation to the tongue which is to engage therewith on the adjacent section.

After the parts are engaged, as shown in v Fig. 4, the tongues have a large bearing area,

although each tongue has'a tendency to be brought into closer engagement with its mating tongue, due to the initial set given to the parts when they are formed.

course, it will be understood that the metal from which these dampeners are constructed will be of such quality as to maintain the initial set. I

It is obvious that the constructions shown are typical only of other forms which the invention might assume, and I do not,.therefore, wish to be limited to the exact forms shown and described;

I claim:

1. In a'spring controller, the combination of upper and lower inclosing members, each of said members being provided with end portions adapted to interengage and interlock with an adjacent end portion, said end portions being initially distorted, whereby the parts normally tend to be brought into close frictional engagement,

the combination the side portions of one member being initially formed .with a concave set and the corresponding portion of the opposed member'being given an mitial convex set, substantially as described.

substantially as inclosing members having inter- 4. In a spring controller, the combination of a pair of U-shaped members, the ends of which are adapted to interlock and permit relative movement between the members, an end portion of one member being formed with an initial distortion with relation to the end portion with which it cooperates, substantially as described.

5. In a spring dampener, the combination of upper and lower U-shaped members adapted, when assembled, to accommodate a nest of springs therebetween, the engaging portions of one member being given an initial curve with relation to the portion engaged thereby, whereby one of said engaging portions must be bent in order to accomplish such engagement, substantially as described.-

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL E. BAUER.

Witnesses:

H. A, FoRsBERo, G.'H. Aosrm. 

